Article from BTNews 5 AUGUST 2019
Air France order boost for Belfast
A much-anticipated fleet update programme for Air France-KLM took off last week with the group signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for 60 Airbus A220-300s to be operated by Air France.
The order is a boost for Belfast as wings and fuselage components for the A220, formerly the Bombardier C Series, are still made there at the Canadian aerospace company’s Northern Ireland operation.
Announcing the order, Air France-KLM group CEO Benjamin Smith also said the group’s Airbus A380 would be retired earlier than planned as part of the fleet shake-up.
On the A220s, he said: “By acquiring the industry’s most efficient and technologically advanced single-aisle aircraft, the airline will benefit from a significant reduction in fuel burn and CO2 emissions.
“The acquisition of these brand new A220-300s aligns perfectly with Air France-KLM’s overall fleet modernisation and harmonisation strategy.”
In another boost last week, Air France-KLM announced a 16% rise in operating profit during the second quarter of this year, which the company said was attributable to cost-cutting measures implemented by Smith, who became CEO last September.
The cuts and higher passenger numbers offset an increase in fuel costs, the group said, with operating income rising to €400m, ahead of expectations.
OUR READERS' FINEST WORDS (All times and dates are GMT)
All comments are filtered to exclude any excesses but the Editor does not have to agree with what is being said. 100 words maximum